Thank you Simon & Schuster and Simon Audio for the review copies - all thoughts are my own.

Slipstream was my first experience with anything Formula 1 - real or romance 😉 - and I can say it’s definitely set the bar for any future F1 experience (again, real or romance 😂). I am such a sucker for a fake dating scheme and watching Arthur fall for Lilah while she wavered between stubborn resistance and completely oblivious added to the thrill of the racing circuit. Add in family drama, travel, paparazzi, friendship, vulnerability… Slipstream was action-packed from the starting lights to the checkered flag and I can’t wait to read more by Maril!

🏎️ Slipstream by Madge Maril… wow, what a ride! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Lilah Graywood, a serious documentarian, finds herself in the fast-paced world of Formula 1, filming the enigmatic Arthur Bianco. After a betrayal by her business partner and secret boyfriend, Max, Lilah teams up with Arthur for a revenge-fueled documentary that turns into a fake dating scheme. But as they navigate the glamorous circuits and behind-the-scenes secrets of F1, their partnership evolves into something real. 💔➡️❤️

I loved the slow-burn romance and the depth of the characters. As someone who is neurodivergent, Lilah’s struggle with ADHD was portrayed with authenticity, and Arthur’s journey from a playboy to a supportive partner was heartwarming. The backdrop of Formula 1 added excitement and glamour to the story. 🏁

Thank you to @NetGalley and @SimonAndSchuster for the ARC! 📖

#Slipstream #MadgeMaril #BookReview #RomanceReads #FakeDatingTrope #OppositesAttract #SportsRomance #Bookstagram #NetGalleyReviewer #FourStarRead

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the complimentary copy of this book!

This book is out now!

Listen, if there is an F1 romance out there, I will read it. You do not need to pull my arm. So when I saw that S&S was going to be publishing an F1 romance, I had to have it.

This was such a delight!! I had started this one while I was working through some more challenging books for me and it was like a breath of fresh air. I was immediately into the idea of this documentarian who is newly single teaming up with a driver to seek revenge on her ex and to help his career. That was when the fun happens!

I am not always a fan of slow burn but this one was fun to see the relationship develop over the course of the book. Lilah was coming out of this relationship which she realized was more friendship than love but knew that being in this relationship with someone who is known as a playboy. And because of love forced proximity, the more they spend time with each other, the more feelings between the two start to develop. Arthur very early on had a protectiveness towards Lilah before he even really knew her. I love the way the author did the banter between the two! Arthur had a lot going on mentally and a lot of drama with his family. I was happy that he allowed Lilah into his life and to let her be there for him. And same goes with Lilah. There was some things she had been dealing with herself and was opened to him about it.

I just really love seeing the two work together - personally and intimately! Lilah is really in her head a lot of times which I could relate to. And somehow Arthur intuitively always knows when she goes into that mindset. There was a moment after they slept together for the first time where she goes to him the next morning: "Do you like me? You never said." and he simply says "I like you." and then immediately her inner monologue goes to: I hate having to ask, waking him up, crawling for a compliment. It makes me feel small, needy. I am small and needy when it comes to him. OOF this was super relatable! Even now I will ask my husband if he likes me *insert upside smiley*

I believe this is the author's debut novel and I will definitely be reading her next book. And if GoodReads is telling me correctly, it sounds like her next one will also be F1 themed.

If you are looking for a slow burn F1 romance with a charming driver and a neurodivergent heroine - give this one a read!!

This one is for all the girlies that feel like they don't belong, or maybe are actually an alien from another planet, but still love a happily ever after.

Brief overview:

Lilah is hired with her documentary crew to start filming over the summer for a documentary on F1 racing. As her personal and professional life take a few hits, she is forced to team up with the notoriously grumpy racer looking to make a comeback.

My thoughts:

I really enjoyed the development of the relationships in this story, specifically the forming of the female friendships in the predominantly male dominated field. The romance was cute and I am still kicking my feet over chapter 22 (even if chapter 23 then made me cringe a little). The subtle Taylor Swift reference was pretty cute too. I even learned a little something about racing!

Thank you Simon&Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC of Slipstream! What a great first book from the author! I haven’t read any F1 books yet, and I have a feeling I’m about to add a ton more to my tbr! I really enjoyed this story and its characters! The back and forth banter between Arthur and Lilah had me kicking my feet the entire time! This slow burn was slow burning for sure! I can’t wait to see what Madge Maril has in store for her next book!

This book caught me from the beginning! It was fast paced, fun and full of self discovery. I really enjoyed the FMC’s journey of self-worth because it didn’t feel like a self-help book. The dynamic between the two characters was fun and I enjoyed the tension and quirkiness they each had. There were a lot of spotlights on mental health and prioritizing it, so that’s a huge plus in my book! If you’re looking for a unique sports story, this is it! Thank you Netgalley for providing me a copy of this ARC!

This book scooped out my heart with a melon baller, gave it a little forehead kiss, and tucked it right back in. Arthur..,no wait, KING...he’s what romance dreams are made of. Confident, layered, soft in all the best ways. And Lilah?? The queen of my soul. I wanted to hug her and high-five her at the same time. She felt so real. This book is the definition of a slow burn and I loved every minute of the build-up. And when the spice finally hits? BABY. VROOM VROOM. 🏁🔥 F1 romance? Say less. I’m in. Forever. And the mental health rep? was honest and validating. Madge Maril, you get it. And I’ll never stop screaming about this book.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the early copy in exchange for my honest review. Slipstream is officially on my forever favorites shelf. 💖🏎️

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Madge Maril for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Here it is. I found it. My gateway drug into F1. This is my second F1 romance read but the FIRST that got me. The way the sport is explained- both the athletic side, the technology, and the politics- it was perfect for this newbie! Alternatively- I have spoken to F1 lifers and they have called this book their Roman Empire. Soooooo that's pretty great, eh?

The tension between these MCs is electric. And this slow and delicious burn is from a debut author!? You've gotta be kidding me!

ARC Review - I enjoyed Arthur as the MMC, but I wasn't a huge fan of Lilah. She was frustrating at times and I didn't really feel the connection between the main characters.
While I did like this book it read more as a literary fiction than a romance. If I would have gone into it expecting less of a romance than I think I would have enjoyed it a little more.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

rating: 3.5 out of 5

As an F1 girlie, I was genuinely excited for this romance! While Slipstream gave us a swoony driver like Arthur, I found the story to be a mixed bag for me, largely because of the female lead, Lilah.

To put it plainly: Lilah irritated me. I had a hard time connecting with her. Being a flawed person is of course natural, but she felt underdeveloped in ways that made her more frustrating than endearing. Her constant pity party about not being as well-connected as others was exhausting, especially when that’s just... life? It’s not unusual to not be from an elite background, and the narrative doesn’t handle her insecurities with much nuance.

She was also immature way for someone in her mid-20s. For instance, misplacing her bag and just not saying anything? Especially when she's portrayed as someone who’s very anxious about money? That felt inconsistent. I also really disliked how the book framed her ADHD, stating that caused her quirky forgetfulness and awkwardness. Losing things and being socially awkward aren’t inherently ADHD, and portraying it that way reduces a real condition to a personality quirk.

She came across as one of those “quirky girls” that fiction loves to romanticize — walking into doorknobs, and full of “odd” habits that aren’t really odd. It’s a trope I’m really tired of. Being anxious, clumsy, or a little “offbeat” doesn’t automatically make a character compelling or relatable. In this case, it just made her hard to root for.

Overall, there’s promise in the setting but Slipstream missed the mark for me when it came to character depth and authenticity.

Slipstream by Madge Maril is a formula 1 sports romance and the story of Lilah and Arthur.
 
Lilah is a documentary filmmaker, and she works together with her boyfriend. Their company is doing really well and after winning an award, they get their next big job doing a documentary about a Formula 1 team. Because of that you get such a good behind the scenes of the F1 world and I absolutely loved that, and it totally reminded me of the Drive to Survive series. Lilah’s life comes crashing down on her though and all her dreams are ripped apart and I really liked how she’s trying to find her happiness again.
 
Arthur is the backup driver and even though his uncle owns the team, he doesn’t feel at home and secretly wishes to change to a different team. Arthur is so charming and witty, and I loved how you get to see more of him with each page. I loved that he took the initiative to partner with Lilah and these two make one hell of a team.
 
I absolutely love F1 romances and can never get enough of them and this was such a good one. And my favorite part was how they had to pretend to be together.  Both weren’t really looking for a relationship, but everything just aligned perfectly, and I was totally rooting for them. I loved following them around the world and creating their own home with each other.
 
Slipstream is a must-read for all sports romance lovers and I just adored this story. 4 stars.
 
(Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc.)

Slipstream is a fast paced Formula One romance book, which is perfect for the sport that the book is trying to emulate. I read this book in a day while camping and I could not put it down. It had me gripped from beginning to end between the chemistry of the two leads and the conflict that the characters have to go through, not only romantically, but within their fields of work as well, it really just brought everything together so beautifully. This is definitely one of my favorite F1 romance books that I have read and will definitely be recommending it to my other friends that also enjoy the sport and reading. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

As someone who knows nothing about F1 this was still super fun to read! I love a good sports romance and this one fit the bill. I enjoyed getting to watch our two main characters grow as individuals. Liliah, to me, showed that there can be strengths in what we may consider our weaknesses. I really appreciate all the mental health rep!! Even without getting Arthur’s direct POV we can see what anxiety can do to someone. Overall this was a good romance I def recommend!

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. I LOVED Slipstream, Madge Maril's debut romance. Hands down one of my favorite F1 romances ever. perfect for both the uninitiated and the ultimate fan! There's something to love for everyone.

Lilah Graywood and her boyfriend Matt make documentaries, and he's arranged for them to film a documentary for an American F1 team. Only, right after she relocates to Texas with Matt, to film a project she isn't even excited about, he dumps her and tries to fire her from their company. Arthur, the team's backup driver, steps in with a plan--he wants to leave the team, and she wants revenge--so they team up to wreck the documentary. Of course, they don't intend on falling for each other--the optics! the ethics!--but that's exactly what happens in this fantastic, incredible, hilarious romance. The romance may be a slow burn, but the cars are really fast. And once the tension between Arthur and Lilah reaches it's breaking point, the wait is sooooo worth it.

As an F1 girly, this book checked alllllll my boxes. I genuinely couldn't stop grinning after I finished it. It made my sweet little neurodivergent heart happy to watch a fellow ADHD-er get her happy ending! And as someone who has lived through the brutal reality of panic attacks, I loved how Madge handled Arthur's panic and anxiety with tenderness and compassion. This should be on EVERYONE'S TBR. I genuinely cannot believe this is her debut. It's phenomenal.

Thank you so much to the publisher for an advance review copy. I'm so glad I preordered it so I can now stare at my beautiful book trophy. Lol.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for this ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts. Unfortunately I didn’t like the writing style and ended up DNFing

As someone who has watched approximately one Formula 1 race in the past, I must say that this slapped.

My favorite thing about "Slipstream" was that it really really succeeded as a sports romance. I read so many "sports" romances where the character(s) just happen to be athletes and that is the full extent of the sports. Sports naturally create so many amazing moments of drama, tension, connection, and triumph. I think that it's a shame when authors don't use that to their benefit. "Slipstream" included all of those juicy sports moments that I loved. We were reading about the romance and the characters, but at the same time totally dialed in to what was happening on the track. While I can't speak to the authenticity of the Formula 1 representation, I loved that racing, competing, and all the stakes that come with that were a big part of this book.

Besides that, I really adored the romance. The romantic plot of this book is so contrived to the point where I'm not sure it really makes sense, but I literally didn't care. I was too hooked on the drama and tension between these two to really think too hard about whether fake dating actually solved any of their problems. I loved that while this was a single-POV story, both characters went through a lot of growth. I also loved the neurodiversity and mental illness representation.

I thought the final conflict was resolved a little abruptly, and I would have liked to hear a little more about the final movie that was ultimately created in the book, but overall this was great.

4 stars

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I for one am someone who lovessss a good sports romance (especially with warmer weather), and this one did not disappoint me. Our female main character experiences a rocky and rough start in the beginning of this book, but by the end I think she has it all figured out. I enjoyed the time skips in this book as it kept the pacing quick and kept me engaged. F1 romances are an area of reading I have really become interested in, and this one worked great for that! Also??? This cover is beautiful!!! I’m happy this one is now out in the world for people to enjoy, it’s definitely one worth picking up!
Lastly, a huge thank you to the publisher for providing this e-arc through Netgalley!

The only negative thing I can say about this book is that it will make you think you actually want to want F1 to see Arthur race, before you remember he’s not a real person. This book was THAT good. I wasn’t expecting to love Lilah and Arthur the way I did, and knowing the author is planning a second book in this world has be so excited.

Lilah and Arthur are so good for each other, even when they don’t realize they like each other at all. She challenges him, he draws her out from behind her camera to live again. They both have serious, relatable issues, and they both grow so much as individuals over the course of the novel. And I loved that it wasn’t easy to Lilah to change and put herself out there - those things are SO hard in real life, and this depiction felt so realistic.

The only thing I could have wanted that I didn’t get while reading was Arthur’s POV. I always prefer dual POV but sometimes I can see why the author kept it to one. But oh my god, there was way too much going on in Arthur’s eyes and his expression for me not to want to get inside his head. And that’s a compliment. I truly loved his character

Thanks to Simon Books for the ARC of this one! This was my first Formula 1 romance and admittedly, I know zero about the sport. That being said, I r sllt liked this one! The book follows Lilah as she takes on a job documenting a US based F1 team. The job sees her partnered up with Arthur, who is the alternate driver for the team. He is clearly a ladies man with no desire for commitment and she immediately is not a fan. She needs up traveling all over Europe by his side and they form an unlikely connection. Lilah's backstory is an interesting one and gives good dimension to her character. There is also some really great mental health rep too. I would recommend this one and I'm looking forward to more from this author!

This was such a fun and well-written romance with characters I adored and a storyline that had me racing through the pages.

Lilah is a serious documentarian, so the last thing she wants to do is spend her summer following around a Formula 1 driver making what she considers to be paid propaganda, but that's exactly what her newly-ex-boyfriend and business partner Max has signed them up for. It turns into a summer she will never forget as she makes a pact with driver Arthur Bianco, does a little fake dating, travels the world, and falls in love with the F1 world.

I think I fell a little in love with the F1 world myself through this book! Maril writes the races and competition in a way that had me feeling like I was sitting in the stands hearing the engines rev, and what an adrenaline rush it was. I knew absolutely nothing about F1 going in to this book, and I found all the details about it to be absolutely fascinating.

Our main characters are incredibly lovable. Lilah is neurodivergent and has some definite hangups about rejection and being left alone after a difficult past, and it made my heart ache for her. I was so happy that Arthur immediately saw her for who she was, and the yearning and pining could be felt flying off the pages.

Read for:
💗 Sports romance
💗 Neurodivergent rep
💗 Workplace romance
💗 World traveling
💗 Open door spice
💗 He falls first